Real Insight. Real Estate.

Archive for the ‘People’ Category

I’ve become increasingly interested in agricultural investments. Although Farmland makes up only about 1% of institutional real estate investments, it is an asset class that has strong fundamentals. According to research by UBS Agrivest[1], agriculture investments provide:

- Competitive returns with a strong income component

- Low return variability

- Diversification benefits

- Effective hedge against inflation

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Daniel R. Brenna, Jr.
Founder & Principal
Capital Real Estate Group

Daniel Brenna is the principal of Capital Real Estate Group, a real estate development and investment firm in Trenton, New Jersey. Daniel is currently focused on Vista Center, a master planned, mixed-use development at the Trenton Transit Center. The project includes a 25 story office tower located adjacent to the station and over 300 residential units.

He received an MS in Real Estate Development and Investments from New York University and a BS in Industrial and Management Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Q: As a company, tell me about the niche you have carved out for yourself and how you feel you are different from the competition. Why do you find this product type more appealing than alternative real estate asset classes?

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First you get the money. Then you get the power. Then you get the women. I believe an inebriated Homer Simpson said that.  And usually that mantra is associated with high powered Wall Street types. We all probably have a friend or two who saw Boiler Room, and wanted to be just like the powder-sniffing, high-flying, lavish-spending stock brokers in that film. But who says real estate guys don’t know how to have fun? Read the rest of this entry »

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Jon A. Cummins
Chief Operating Officer
Amerimar Enterprises, Inc.

Jon Cummins is the Chief Operating Officer of Amerimar Enterprises, Inc., a position he has held since 2001. Amerimar’s focus is on the acquisition of “value added” hotels, apartments, office and retail properties in major urban/suburban markets throughout the United States. Mr. Cummins’ primary responsibilities are the general oversight of Amerimar’s operations as well as the sourcing, acquisition, asset management, property management, financing and disposition of the Company’s hotel and multifamily properties. Before joining Amerimar in 1989, Jon worked in the Real Estate Investment Banking Division at Lehman Brothers in New York where he was involved in the placement of debt and equity financing vehicles and the acquisition of property for the firm’s own account.

Q: As a company, tell me about the niche you have carved out for yourself and how you feel you are different from the competition. Why do you find this product type more appealing than alternative real estate asset classes? Read the rest of this entry »

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So, for months I’ve been subjecting you to my musings regarding the intersection between commercial real estate and macro economics.  Of course, right when I stop droning on for a week or two, a “crisis” in Greece ostensibly causes a 9% “correction” in stocks.

Well, I’m back, and I’m here to help…. well, at least to make some smart-ass comments.

Let’s begin.

The “crisis” really isn’t about Greece, it’s about the whole Eurozone, and it’s not over.   When they tell you the situation in Greece has been settled, just ask them if the “subprime crisis” is still well contained.  While it’s tempting to think I’m being overly dramatic, people far smarter than I will tell you the Euro is doomed to failure.  Tomorrow?  The next day?  Perhaps not, but well within your business career.

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Stanley Bing, an often insightful contributor to Fortune Magazine, wrote a very interesting blog post last week in regards to banking compensation. He cites an article in the NY Times that said, “Roughly 90 cents out of every dollar that these banks earned in 2009 — and sometimes more — is going toward employee salaries, bonuses and benefits, according to company filings.”  The paper also notes that Citigroup “paid its employees so much in 2009 –$24.9 billion — that the company more than wiped out every penny of profit.”  There has been a lot of outrage over banking institutions who took TARP money paying such exorbitant salaries and bonuses…but is it really a bad thing? Read the rest of this entry »

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Ryan joined Sentry in 2009 bringing a wealth of financial experience to the organization with a special focus in Hospitality Real Estate. As the holding company’s CIO and Principal, Ryan oversees all capital, investment and new business development transactions. In addition, he controls relationships with investment partners, lending institutions, and oversees Finance and Operations for Sentry Centers, the new urban conference center platform of the company. Ryan comes directly to Sentry from Gramercy Capital where he served as a Vice President responsible for the workout and restructuring of Gramercy’s hospitality related assets. Prior to this, he worked for Lehman Brothers within their commercial real estate group. Ryan is an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and a graduate of Villanova University.

Q: As a company, tell me about the niche you have carved out for yourself and how you feel you are different from the competition. Why do you find this product type more appealing than alternative real estate asset classes?

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What’s the best way to stave off inflation fears?

Ironically….it may be to invest in Real Estate.

Should Obama force Community Banks to Lend?

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Ever wonder how people become successful?  How people go from nothing to the top of the world?  Or does unabashed success seem like an unattainable pipe dream that happens to “other” people, much like winning the lottery? In this video courtesy of the Wall Street Journal, Barry Sternlicht essentially gives the humble and abbreviated version of how he went from an unemployed 31 year old with a baby on the way, to the CEO of the biggest hotel company in the world just seven short years later. Color us at Llenrock impressed. Read the rest of this entry »

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Mr. Sillerman’s Luxury Resort in Anguilla, which he has lost $180 million on to date

“If your lifeguard duties were as good as your swimming, a lot of people would be drowning”:

-Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell said that on American Idol about a contestant’s stage performance. The quote should be used to describe the real estate investments of Robert Sillerman, who owns American Idol.

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